Morning Bell: What the Senate Bill Would Do To America

Another day, another no-show for the Obamacare reconciliation bill. House Democrats were quick to shift blame to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) with Rep. Robert Andrews telling The Hill that the delay “has been much more technical than substantive. … It’s not like what tax has to go or what spending has to go.” Which is an interesting claim, since Politico reported that AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka was summoned to the White House yesterday afternoon “to discuss a higher-than-expected excise tax on some health care plans.” In fact, Politico added: “A labor source said Trumka’s meeting would focus on the entire bill, not just the excise tax question.” Sounds like more than just technical details are still in flux.

But in reality, none of these discussions really matter. The reconciliation bill being drafted is nothing more than thin political cover for House Democrats who believe the Senate bill is terrible public policy but want to please their leadership and the President by voting for it anyway. As we detailed yesterday, there is no bill but the Senate bill. Once the House passes the Senate bill, the President will sign it. Game over. It has been almost three months since the Senate passed their bill in the dead of night on Christmas Eve. A review of just how terrible it really is, is in order:

Increased Health Care Costs: The Senate bill manifestly does nothing to bend the health care cost curve downward. According to the latest CBO report, the Senate bill would actually increase health care spending by $210 billion over the next 10 years. This follows a previous report from the President’s own Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) showing the Senate bill would result in $234 billion in additional health care spending over 10 years.

Increased Health Insurance Premiums: The President initially promised that Americans would see a $2,500 annual reduction in their family health care costs. But under the Senate bill, premiums would go up for millions of Americans. In fact, according to the CBO, estimated premiums in the individual market would be 10–13 percent higher by 2016 than they would be under current law.

Increases Unemployment and Puts Millions of Americans on Welfare: According to The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Data Analysis (CDA), a dynamic analysis of the tax hikes and deficits created by the Senate bill shows that an average 690,000 jobs per year would be lost if it became law. In addition, over half of all Americans who would gain health insurance through the bill (18 million out of 33 million) would do so by being placed on Medicaid, which is a welfare program.

Higher taxes, higher health care costs, higher health insurance premiums, higher deficits, more unemployment and more Americans on welfare. That is America’s future should the Senate Obamacare bill become law.

Over half of the Americans who gain health insurance through the Senate bill will not be able to get their drugs from Washington state Walgreens, since they announced yesterday that as of April 16th they will not accept any new Medicaid patients.

According to Gallup, Americans firmly prioritize the economy over the environment and fewer than half of Democrats now believe environmental protection is the more important goal.

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How can we stop this? It's as unconstitutional as it can get. So called "Slaughter rules?" their making this up as they go along, and what's more… we are letting them do it! How can you pass a bill without even voting on it. This game is rigged, the outcome has been awarded, and all of us are set to loose.

Our Republic has degenerated from Federalism into a Democracy that has degenerated into a Despotism! We MUST reverse this or not only does the USA suffer but so does the rest of the world! There will be no hope left for anyone if these Socialists, who hold the reins of government, are not sent packing!

Unemployment is certain to remain high. We all know that most people do NOT love their jobs. So we know that many people stay in their jobs BECAUSE of the health insurance. With unemployment benefits stretching out to almost two years and health insurance without having a job, I'm certain that scores of people will quit their jobs, those without will be in no hurry to look for one, and we'll look like Europe in no time. China, Russia and Iran will love that!

I believe data like this should be placed as full page ads in every news paper in the country. I, like a lot of your members would donate to this! I don't know of any other way to get this data to those who don not listen to FOX or talk radio.

Trumka at the white house again. Obama is owned by the unions and the pres needs to get the union's permission to move forward. All of the facts shown by Heritage do not matter. In fact one could say the unemployment rate is too low for Obama who is in the process of tearing this country down. Gas prices went up in 2008 too fast for Obama, but at $4.00 they were the right price – just too fast a climb. All he wants to say is "I got health insurance [care] reformed. Not Willy ad not Bush, but me. The unemployment, housing downturn, all of it is in Obama's playbook. This deemed to pass is an invitation to a supreme court decision. I can't wait for November election night to listen to the lame stream media talking about a Republican take over.

Obamacare interferes with the historically protected fundamental liberty right to enter into a private contract with a doctor and a private health insurance company. The Supreme Court has found that the right of contract is protected by the due process liberty clauses of the 5th. and 14th. Amendments. This protection relates to substance due process which protects against unfair legislation which infringes upon fundamental personal liberty rights. Legislation can be so coercive as to deny a liberty right of free choice.

A liberty right is also protected by the 9th. Amendment which speaks to other rights retained by the people. The point is that not all personal rights have been specifically expressed in the Constitution. These unexpressed liberty rights are those which the government cannot "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law."

Another problem is that the Democrats have been allowed to frame the argument as one of health care reform. The argument should be about the lack of constitutional authority of Congress to infringe upon the fundamental liberty right of an individual to enter into a private contract.

There are so many negatives associated with this bill; it's hard to imagine that anyone would be for it. The way this is being handled, keep in mind that the Democrats own Confress, the White House, the media and this bill. It's clear to me that the Democratic Party has shown their true colors and are in this for themselves and have little or no regard for the citizens.

how is it that we allow Obama to be president and move our country to his ideology communist ideas, when He gave up his citizenship to study in Indonesia. Obama was not vetted, and should have been as all candidates should be.

Obama should be IMPEACHED. Its my understanding he gave up his citizenship to study in Indonesia. He was not vetted, but Congree should look into vetting him, He is not fit to be an American president.

Call your Congress Person NOW- calls, emails and letters NEED to flood the offices now. The White House switch board number is 1-800-965-4701. Remember what happened last time people banded together and made the calls. We cannot stand and watch we have a duty to our Children to keep our county from becoming a third world country. All the published dollar costs of this bill are way too low. We must keep in mind all of the illegal aliens who will be added to the rolls when Amnesty goes throuhg. Please, take the initiative and stand up for our country. The President and the Congress need to be reminded who they work for!

Reiterating and reiterating the publicized facts concerning the health bill is like a squirrel on a wheel. We are the squirrels, the wheel has a motor and we can’t get off to see what other things are being done. After all the rhetoric concerning the increase in taxes, the increase in cost, the increase in unemployment forcing millions of uninsured to qualify for medicaid and the insurance companies no longer in business the number of people working in the insurance industries, from corporate positions down to the receptionist at the desk will be catastrophically affected. Many feel the corporate people deserve to be punished for their bonuses and high incomes, however, did anyone of those critics take into consideration the first step on that ladder, they didn’t just magically appear at the top, many hours way more than our legislators spend were put in making contacts, setting appointments, traveling many miles to see “prospective” clients all on a commission paid basis. A large percentage of our legislators are attorneys who litigate with other people’s money, not their own, do they remember their struggling years even before the title of junior partner was beside their names? It appears they do not, it is those inexperienced in business persons that are making these decisions. It is doubtful they can even balance their own check books much less be fiscally intelligent in making these decisions concerning 1/6th of our economy. The government has already over regulated our economy that in essence we do not really know bottom line figures that openly reflect commerce. Subsidies are not produced income, they are gifts to the bank account. Now we are dealing with legislators that are in a personal vendetta, it is the dems against the repubs, the liberals against the conservatives and the President put another bit of icing on the cake in his interview with Brett Baier on Wednesday when he said “those that vote yes for the bill are for health care and those that vote no are not”. Irrespective of the cost to the nation the legislators that stand up for integrity and allegiance to doing what is right in not creating more deficits, more unemployment, more government, oh yes and creating another 159 “new” jobs in government, intrusion into all facets of private lives of citizens, crashing the economy, willing the sovereignty of the United States over to a global governance and on and on, they are the “bad” guys”? Makes one wonder concerning the mindset of those saying “yes” to 2900 pages + of destruction of this nation’s very foundation. The light is dimming for the brightest and most hopeful nation in the world due to the shroud of hypocrisy and deception of progressive liberal cancers. Remember “all” people will be affected including the perpetrators of these atrocious schemes.

This should be added: Think about the number of government employees needed. Another set of laws (2600 pages) to be interpreted by yet another Board, Branch, Czar, Commission, staff, Committee, Department, Team of lawyers, etc.
Another layer of administration/bureauocracy to be established, funded, housed, selected, staffed, and responsibilities and relationships made clear.

“The government can always do it cheaper and easier if you just give us the power” is the Socialist Creed.

Who does the president work for?????? I have always thought the government was by the people and for the people. Well it must have changed, it seems the government is now for the union and by the unions, not the people. We now have hope and change, we just hope the change can be reversed in the near future.

Too bad some compromise to provide relief to those with serious illiness that exceed the lifetime max expenses and those who get insurance dropped. There is no reason to totally destroy our health care service in USA.
On the other side since the above would have some major cost we could get oil and gas exploration and drilling unrestricted allowances. This would open up job creation and tax revenues would increase. If we could get some tax rate reductions then the economy would sky rocket and again tax revenues would increase as they always have in the past.

I hope the RNC tried this kind of deal to help those with medical bills and our failing economy at the same time.

I know however the Progressives do not want the economy to prosper with “free market” workings. They want socialist tenants to look as the best way to provide a good life to most people.

The systemic cost effects of all taxes, regardless of who may be actually paying the taxes, will always fall hardest on the backs of those who have the least income purchasing power but who still have enoungh income that they do not qualify for the various public assistance programs.

When taxes of any kind are increased, those who have the least will always be hurt first and hurt worst.

Tax funded government social assistance programs are programs of futility. At some point, the government that manages and administers tax funded social assistance programs will become an institution of futility. A nation whose people become overly reliant on tax funded government social assistance programs will be rendered a nation of futility.

The “war on poverty” that we have been fighting for about 45 years was already a lost war even before the first volley was fired. That’s because the volley did not hit poverty; the first volley (folly) as well as all succeeding volleys have hit the nation’s prosperity: The only rational and logical ally for being able to win a war on poverty. It has been those people and those families who were trying to survive at the bottom of the income ladder whose prosperity was hit most often and hit hardest. Then in succession, they were pounded down until they dropped below the poverty line and became enmeshed in our web of government dependency.

The cost of taxation, generically, now makes up more than half of the prices that are being paid for healthcare. And the prices of just about everything else that we purchase and pay for.

Governments can and do dictate actions. It is impossible for governments to dictate specific results.

The lawsuits based upon the unconstitutionality of these 2700 unread pages are
already in the works; dozens of them, which will glut our court system ad infinitum.
Nice going Congress. You have, in fact, drafted your own demise at the Nov. polls.
And of course after enduring the brow beating that they received at the State of the
Union, the Supreme Court looks forward, I’m sure, to hearing the arguments on
the passing of this piece of legislation.
Good luck, America.

If this so-called Health care Reform isn’t good enough for THEM, it certainly isn’t good enough for ME! And, if they have to resort to slimeball tactics to pass this so-called reform (something in which they don’t actually have to vote for it and then they can say they didn’t vote for it to their constituents), there’s something truly stinky in DC!

I have never seen a President demonize an industry like Obama and his Democrat stooges have demonized the insurance industry. Funny isn’t it how they have managed to exempt themselves from the proposed health care plan they propose for the rest of us and keep their own plans, which are administered by the insurance companies they purport to despise. And by the way, did you know that once a Congressman leaves office, for any reason, he/she gets to keep their federal employee insurance for the rest of their lives? Imagine, having to get your health insurance coverage through one of those horrible insurance companies.

He cares nothing about bankrupting our country and future generations of our children and grandchildren. Like so many of those in the Senate and the House, Mr. Obama is a multi-millionaire. Like them, he will continue to be a multi-millionaire after leaving office. Regardless of how much taxes increase, he and his fraternity in Congress will not feel the pinch one bit. And for all of his promises that anyone earning less tha $250,000 a year will not see their taxes increased, there is no way your taxes can excape being increased. And when it happens, the wording of those promises will be parsed into infinity and will make former President Clinton’s response “it all depends on what the definition of IS, is” seem like a masterpiece of clarity.

Criticisms of Mr Obama’s trail of broken promises roll off him like water off a duck’s back. Reminded of his broken promises, Mr. Obama looks right at his accusers and simply changes the subject. His unspoken reply screams out “Never mind what I told you then, I’m telling you now”.

One thing for sure: Come November 2010 and thereafter, the make-up of Congress will not be anywhere of what it is now. The Democratic Party will NOT exist. That is a promise. We will use every tool at our disposal, including huge amounts of money to throw these bums out of office and completely end their careers since they don’t give a damn about us taxpayers.

This bill will cause hospitals to close, nurses and doctors will quit (remember he said all medical personel will not be able to claim religious or moral reasons for not assisting in abortions etc.) . Not only them, Insurance companies will go broke, this means the thousands employed by ALL these Ins. cos. will be out of work, this bill will snow ball into a collapse of what we see today. We will be like Canada, England etc, waiting days to get medical attention, ER’s wuill be so jammed that a four hour wait will expand to more than 24 hrs. IF THIS BILL PASSES we must vote all these traitors out of office starting with Pelosi and Reid and start with legal action to get this repealed. Stand Strong, fight for your rights, fight to preserve this country the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, this is the NEW REVOLUTION, main battle will be Nov. 2010 VOTE,VOTE VOTE

I am 66. By the time the United States is completely converted to Socialism, I will probably be dead. Thank God. The old saying: “I wish I were young again” sure does not apply to me. I’m very thankful of my age. I won’t live to see the destruction of this great Country that our forefathers worked so hard to preserve and that those in the prior wars fought and died for. Those people under 30 who LOVE Obama and treat him as a god are in for such a rude awakening – and THEY DESERVE ALL THEY’RE GOING TO GET. Unfortunately, the children will REALLY suffer under a country where they will never know the freedoms you and I have been fortunate to experience in the past. I’ve heard the phrase: GOD HELP US. God really needs to help the young people (who are fools) and also anybody else who voted for (what now will become) the beginning of a Socialist society.

Neighbor Dave in Chelsea MI: The Washington Post is reporting what the Democratic party leaders are claiming, not the result of a third party independent study by The Washington Post. Big difference. The Democtratic response is completely biased by nature – what else would you expect them to say?
Remember how Social Security started:
Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social
Security (FICA) Program. He promised:
1.) That participation in the Program would be
Completely voluntary,
No longer Voluntary.
2.) That the participants would only have to pay
1% of the first $1,400 of their annual
Incomes into the Program,
Now 7.65% on the first $90,000 (and matched by employers)
3.) That the money the participants elected to put
into the Program would be deductible from
their income for tax purposes each year,
Now not deductible

and on and on>>>>>>>>

It is the tract record for Congress and the long term changes that are my concerns.

While the CBO is loaded with intelligent people, they have to score according to the unrealistic assumptions in the bill. Because of this, the CBO is just a tool for dishonest politicians. I think this needs to be repated over and over so that the crooks in congress can not hide behind the “vaunted” CBO.

[…] The CBO this morning released a report that the yet to be written bill will in fact reduce the deficit over the next decade. But the foundry blows that out of the water with their post this morning. Personally I am kind of tired of writing about the same details so you can read it here if you wish. […]

Insurance is really “risk management.” It is a way of having monetary help when you need it following a car crash, house fire, accident, etc. Obviously no insurance company will issue and pay out on a policy you take out after the auto accident or house fire. That is not risk management. That is charity. They would not be in business long if they did. How long do you think health insurance companies will last if people do not pay for the insurance until they have a serious illness? Maybe that is the idea…drive health insurance companies out of business.

So, you purchase and pay for insurance in hopes you will never need it. This is sometimes called “credit in reverse.” Most of the people paying into the insurance pool never need it. If you are allowed to purchase insurance only after you need it, the insurance company would have only customers who were drawing money out.

Health insurance actually started with a group of school teachers in Texas who decided to get together and contribute a modest amount to Baylor Hospital. Then if one of them had to go to the hospital, money was taken out of their “fund” to cover the cost. They had no idea who might require hospitalization, but they were spreading the risk among many. This plan later became Blue-Cross and only applied to hospitalization; not doctor visits.

Obamacare is not risk management. It is socialism or something worse. I cannot for the life of figure out why so many Democrats are going along with it.

One other thing: The Senate Bill. Once the House passes it and Obama signs it, it is LAW then and there. If the Senate cannot agree on changes the House wants we are still stuck with the Senate Bill. In other words, if the House passes the Senate Bill, we have Obamacare without the Senate doing anything else. So it seems to me we HAVE GOT to stop it in the House. If it does not pass in the House, I think that is the end of Obamacare for this congress.

President Obama must pass his Healthcare Bill now, no matter what the cost, so that he can move on to Immigration Reform immediately and get that passed before the November Elections.

President Obama is using healthcare Reform and Immigration Reform together to take control of the country's voter demographic, and with it control of the Nation. He is manipulating a profound shift in voter demographic from the elderly and disabled to the illegals.

The illegals already here, and those that will be arriving in mass with the passage of these two bills, are of great value to President Obama, and are therefore a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources than senior citizens and disabled, because they will bring to him a vast voting block of compliant and unquestioning voters, to pass any laws he wants.

It won't matter how many Republicans are elected in November, The Republicans will lose those seats permanently, and he knows it, with the coming shift in voter demographic.

When those seats go back into Democratic hands, they will be filled by representative from the immense new voter demographic coming across that open border for healthcare and the vote.

President Obama is not afraid of the wrath of the American people because they are going to lose the ability to effect elections with the coming shift in voter demographic.

President Obama is willing to be a one term President because he is young, his vision is long, he is making an investment in the future, and he will be back. The new, massive voter demographic he is creating through Healthcare and Immigration Reform will know it was he who gave them healthcare and the vote, and will vote accordingly.

By the Healthcare and Immigration Reform laws President Obama will have put into place before the November Elections, the illegals here and pouring across that open border will have to be given healthcare and the vote. On the face of it, it is insane to give illegals here healthcare and the vote when the border is open. No matter how Amnesty is presented, they will get the vote. The power is in the vote.

No matter what the language is regarding illegals in that healthcare bill, the Supreme Court will rule they have to be covered under the the "Equal Protection Under the Law " Clause.

Because what he is doing is radioactive on the political correctness scale, he will succeed.

So, it doesn't matter if all the seats go Republican in November, If President Obama passes Healthcare and Immigration Reform before the November Elections, he has won, and he knows it; and this country, as it was envisioned and created, is doomed.

I thought that many men and women fought for our country and freedom. How can this be legaley possible? Has anyone put into the equation that the remainder of working people are going to be paying for the "new" government employees big salary, benefits and retirement???? I feel there is something terrible on the herizon about to happen??

I think even the progressives, with their ill conceived concept for America, are beginning to recognize that this health care process is out of control. By the time they get this passed (which I hope never happens) and begin to work on card check, cap and trade et al, this country will be in an economic free fall.

Typical demorat math! 10 years of payments for 6 years of coverage?! What happens with the NEXT 10 years?! Right! Disaster! The DEMORATS really believe the population is as DUMBDED-DOWN as they are! I mean, lets be honest here…NOBODY can be as dumb as Pelosi and Reid! We are about to find out if the REAL AMERICANS FIRST ARE GOING TO STAND UP AND SAY NO SOCIALISM FOR ME NOR MY CHILDREN!!! Forgive this combat vet for getting aggravated sometimes. I put my life on the line and others DIED for THIS CAST OF LYING CARTOON CHARACTERS INCLUDING OBAMA and the CONTROLLED/CORRUPT MEDIA WHICH SUPPORTS THEM?! PULLLLEEEEEZE! Thanks to Brett on Fox for REAL QUESTIONS the president would not answer! And thank you HERITAGE FOR ALL YOU DO!

Poor Ken. All I can assume is that he's on the complete government dole already & looks forward to increased benefits without cost.

If our preoccupation with the HC bill hasn't turned us to jello yet consider the added education bill thrown in for good measure. Currently this bill will cancel all private college loans. No Banks allowed as the government will in future handle all student loans. Initially it might cost less but it's currently set up to charge about 6.5%-7%. Gov. will borrow from the Treasury at 2.25%-2.50% They will then loan to students at 6-7%. Pretty good spread. Actually the first 2.5-3% of the loan will be returned to Treasury; 2% will be used (i.e. pay more gov't employees) to service the loan and the other 2% will be used to subsidize deserving students, or whatever seems appropriate at the time.

Of course with a foot in the door approach eventually the borrower will first be encouraged in a study direction followed by direction to a specific major which our government says is needs for societies sake.

Please consider including mention of the college loan bill when contacting your congressmen.

I am amazed that with all the rhetoric given to date about the health care bill, that nobody (and I mean nobody) seems to be complaining about the Congressional members and the Senate is concerned that what they are trying to foist on the American People is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Health care is really a State's Right, not a Federal Government right to regulate, not necessarilly provide for the people in the respective states. Also, this bill magically appeared, yes, all 2200 pages in the Congress and 600+ pages in the Senate in only a few days. How could anyone write such massive bills in the 2 or 3 weeks from first mention to its appearance for a vote in both houses. It appeared so fast that nobody in either house knew what was in the bill. So, who really wrote the bills, and why wasn't the legislators who are responsible for representing us on top of what each bill says and protecting the Constitution by questioning the Constitutionality of each section of the bills and voting against the questionable items? I believe that ALL members of Congress and the Senate who have been in office for 2 or more terms should be voted out of office and replaced by younger (or at least more experienced) representatives and senators who know well what is in the US Constitution and are passionately in favor in upholding its principles. There are many conservatives in both houses who are wolves in sheep's clothing, regardless of what they say. My father told me back in 1959, just before he died, that it is more important to observe what a person does than what he says. Words are a dime a dozen and there are glib spouters of meaningless words. But what they do says reams of information about what they really think. So, lets watch what our leaders do as well as what they say, remember both, and vote the bums out on election day.

We're the Government and we want to help you. By the way, Healthcare now needs an enforcement arm (the IRS), and gives control of the bank accounts of every single person in the country to the Government. What is President Obama going to do with this new and staggering power? I see a quiet and compliant nation.

Lets look at the mindset behind President Obama's healthcare bill. The architect and Chief Advisor on President Obama is Dr. Ezekiel Emmanuel.

He is on record that it is NOT discrimination to deny healthcare to those age 65 and over because they have already lived most of their lives and are therefore not an efficient allocation of healthcare resources; and we have a healthcare bill with a $500 Billion dollar cut in care to the elderly.

The architect of Healthcare Reform is also on record with an opinion that reflects a new criteria for receiving healthcare, that one must have the potential to be a "participating citizen". This position denies healthcare to millions of disabled Americans, and all of us at some point in our lives. He states that healthcare is not basic nor should it be guaranteed to those disabled to the point where they do not have the potential to be "participating citizens". This means we are all going to be cut lose from healthcare when in our dying process we lose the potential to be participating citizens. For when that happens, healthcare is not basic not should it be guaranteed.

Of all the doctors in the country, how is it President Obama chose as his Chief Healthcare Advisor and architect of his Healthcare Reform a man with views on the value of individual human life that are anathema to those contained in the Constitution and the ideals of America?

When a nation elects a hate America, incompetent, ignorant, evil, indecent and socialist/communist/fascist President why should it expect anything else. Obama is doing all he can to destroy the 'light of ther world'. May God have mercy on us all.

[…] to approve the Slaughter Rule, that is, the rule that will allow Pelosi and Politburo to pass the Senate’s health care (and other pork project) bill without actually voting on it. Expect a vote on the […]

Heritage, you are weak organization. Obamacare passes inspite of your weak efforts and he will personnally wipe you out of existence…you and talk radio will be out of business soon. The socialists are willing to do things you aren't cause you people do not know how to fight. Posting too quickly my ass!

That honest person who calls Rush and the GOP liars. Stay tuned if your head can get out of the toilet called the NY Times and MSNBC long enough. But then I'll bet he does not pay for his own health insurance and never thought about buying it himself. He may need a doctor if he thinks that 30 million can be added to the patient list without increased costs while cutting reimbursements for doctors and transferring benefits from seniors who paid all their lives to drones [who call others names]. Respectful, attacks – WHAT RULES ?

Ken Jarvis must be a "tool." Unable to grasp the whole picture. Claims lies with nothing to back his claim! Totally engulfed in what Obama says without, like the other brainwashed victims ability to open their minds to the facts that tell THE TRUTH!

And don't ask me to e-mail you, I don't trust anyone who is unable to determine rhetoric from reality.

Obama and these socialists in the Congress and Senate, are driving all of us crazy, wwith their constant agitation regarding Healthcare, Cap and Trade, Unions, and all the other cronies that adore him. This is part of the statist plans, to keep us agitated and upset all the time.

This healthcare is not needed the way they are trying to pass it. Most of us have good healthcare, and they could just help those that need it and cannot afford it. Believe me, it would cost less than the one they are trying to pass will cost. The whole idea of government healthcare was to cut the costs. We will have inferior healthcare, and pay more. Where is our freedom, the constitution is being violated. We are losing all our rights, and this one stupid, Marxist, Muslim Illegal President and his followers are causing this. wE WILL BE PAYING FOR ABORTIONS THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO HAPPEN. WE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE. WE ALSO WILL LOSE MANY GREAT DOCTORS WHO DO NOT WANT THE GOVERNMENT FUNNING THEIR PRACTICE. I think all the congress, senate, and president and staff should have to be on the same healthcare as us, then we would see them drop this horrendous bill.

Tom, I've got you beat, Haha. I'm 75 or as the Irish say, "I'm three-quarters there, from the start to the end." I will probably be gone before you.

I looked into the crib of my 3 month old great-grandson and realized that he'll never know what it was like to be a free American. I'd say the Obama-ites are already planning on what his education and occupation will be in the year 2030. He will probably be wworking in a soylent green factory turning cadavers into meals.

Good luck to all you young'uns. Us old and not too smart people tried to tell you. No. You're all college educated and have your Ipods and Wii games. Now you've got it all.

I've had one heart attack, 3 strokes, 4 hernia's, 1 colo-rectal cancer bout that required a year of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Ive just had both carotid arteries cleaned out. Thank God fro my own insurance.

I'd be on Obama's list for no more treatments. I can understand that. Do you think that you will get half of those treatments from Barak? No but your Senator and Congressman will.

Sen Tom Coburn (R) OK, warns Democrats that he will be watching closely for any signs of payoffs, bribes, and sweetheart deals in exchange for a "yes" vote on health care bill. Well, here is a prime example. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, (D) Ill, admitted he agreeded to vote "yes" in exchange for a fast advancement of the immigration reform bill. (read amnesty)

Every claim made by the Democrats about this "reform" bill has been soundly refuted with FACTS, contrary to some who post here who claim it to be otherwise. For example, abortion is included. See page 2071. Rationing, in various forms, is mentioned in many sections. I'll be happy to provide exact sections on request.

If anyone had told us Americans 2 years ago that The United States would be on the verge of collapse, Marxist sympathizers would be controlling many deparments, and fraud, corruption, bribes, payoffs, and blatent lies would be flooding the swamp of Congress, no one would have believed it.

The government is in a mad rush to Socialize every institution and business in this country, and the office of the President of the United States of America has forever been diminished by all of this sleaze.

This dreadful mess is just one more instance of what appears, to me, to be bordering on treason – every chance they get they are twisting what the constitution says they can and can't do – and they are totally forgetting that they were voted into office – they were not entitled to office in any way. What a blessing it would be if some of them started using their heads to think with instead of just for a hat rack – the brain is a muscle, and like all muscles, if you don't use it you will lose it – and they appear to be in danger of doing just that – at least to all appearances. I can respect the office they each hold, but I cannot respect their actions.

The progressives have been planning this for the last 100 years with the media backing them all the way, until talk radio,fox cable news , internet and cell phones came along and shined the light of truth on them. If this health care / educational bill is corruptly pass, the progessives will try and silence this communication system, a facter they did not forsee that has exposed their lies.

The chance of providing quality health care to the poor is now at hand. Nationalized health care will make sure that no person is left behind. We must thank the rich for getting it passed. They will have the power and compassion to raise the payroll tax, and pay medical costs for every sick person. It might anger some of the overpaid, but they have been living high on the hog for too long.

It appears as though this , the finest of all countries future is in the hands of God being as ours are tied . The Obama Administration is creating madness and sadness that leaves me in utter disbelief on a daily basis as are tens of millions I'm sure. What shall the majority of citizens IN OPPOSITION do ?!? Complaining don't help or at least hasn't so far. Shall we attempt to mobilize millions to decend on Washington ?!? What ?!? Mass prayer ?!? Pray that God deliver us from evil in hopes that a giant crack will appear and in will fall every single offending individual that refuses to obey the will of the people ?!? What ?!? What are we gonna do ?!?

I am hoping if the house passes the bill (216 votes) that the Governor of Virginia goes right to federal court the next day as he has promised to do and that the other 36 states who are in agreement with the unconstitutional manner this bill has progressed and what it entails follow Him into Federal courts. I ask us all to pray. I hope we stand firm and this moment makes us all understand that we must not lose faith. I know we need to take action and I know many are calling the capital and many are protesting. but along with all our actions let s stand firm in faith in God and ask HIS help and protection

IF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS PASS THIS SOCIALIST LAW OF THE LAND,I FEEL IT'S TIME WE CONSIDER AS A PROUD TENNESSEE NATIVE JOINING TEXAS AND ANY OTHER STATE THAT LOVE THEIR FREEDOM,THINKABOUT SUCCEEDING FROM THE CORRUPT LIBERAL STATES THAT WE ARE HAVING TO KEEP AFLOAT, AND SEE HOW THEY CAN MAKE IT THEN. GOD BLESS AMERICA.

I have seen very little concerning the effect on military retirees but military people at age 65 are transferred to medicare. Under this bill the Pro-Group are saying that reductions in medicare and medicaid will help fund some of the costs. In the last five years I have been dropped by three doctors because they no longer want to put up with the red tape and minimum pay that medicare requires them to accept. Nobody will want to take care of us now. So much for serving our country.

Matthew C…THANK YOU! You are asking the questions I have been asking for months…what are we going to do about it besides talk and complain on our blogs, email, and make phone calls, blah, blah. Here is the "majority" in opposition all connected by the greatest communication device in the world and we can't seem to connect.Dozens, maybe hundreds, of websites, blogs, and organizations all doing the same thing…communicating about the outrage, yet not connected. The internet is the vehicle Obama used to win the election. It is time for us to put it to use.

in addition, there is one time-honored method used by many societies to affect change in an unresponsive government – the general strike. That is stoppage of work by a substantial proportion of workers in numerous industries in an organized effort to achieve economic or political objectives. Of course, people often participate in marches, protests, demonstrations, etc as well to help get the point across.

I am NOT in any way advocating violence or rebellion, but peaceful protest. How long would it take for our politicians to see what can happen when half the population of a country the size of ours just doesn't show up?

Yes, it would be a risky endeavor requiring sacrifice and determination. However, based on the comments here and on other sites it seems we may not have much of a future anyway. It certainly may not be one that honors our American tradition of freedom.

Have heart, things tend to work in mysterious ways. Take Iraq for example. Do you think the Iraqis would have really understood what they have gained if there had been no sacrifice, if it had all been easy? Things struggle in nature because that makes them strong. In the same sense the Iraqi people are like Americans winning their freedom from England. Unfortunately America has gotten soft and lazy and has once again become England.

Let them pass their bill. we all know its wrong. It will never stand because it will not stand up to State rights or constitutional challenge.

The great kool smoking messiah, the crazed liberal hag from San francisco, and the sniveling little weasel from Nevada will revel in their victor for only a little while before they are hurled back into the burning pit to never be heard from again.

We become complacent when thing go to good for too long of a time and whether you realize it now or not, devils like Barack, Nancy, and Harry

have to come along every once in a while to make us realize what we do not want for our country. Trust me, their stench will linger for a long time in the minds of the voters and this is a good thing as long as we can limit or repeal the damage that they do.

However, we also have to be very vigilant that we do not become the very thing we despise in them.

This is a thinly desguised plan to destroy the free enterprize system and is a violation of the constitution. Where is the mandate in that doctrine that allows the federal government the right to force people into a contract?

Who could possibly defend the instituting of a health care system that is only for the people but not for the members of Congress, the President and the government workers?

I fear that the conditions instituted by this adminstration are getting close to engendering a revolution with the people.

This is simply a disguised, further step forward in the dismantling of the free enterprize economic system that has not only led to our country being the most successful and free nation in the history of the world, but because it is founded upon a system of moral values, the it has a long history of being the most benificent and compassionate nation that ever existed.

While the politically correct, revised history that is being taught in our schools today says much of how we were slave owners and stole the land from the Indian tribes, they never mention the fact that the honest truth of the history of the world shows that through the eons of time since homo sapiens evolved and moved in small packs until they learned agriculture and developed the skills and knowledge to establish villages then towns and eventually claiming territory either by battle or by declaration, those lands or territories were all won by war, or conquest, so what nation can claim to have such incontestable right to their ownership of their territory?

Prior to the creation of the "Great Society" by LBJ and even, to a still major degree since, the people of the United States of America have consistently been their for the less fortunate of the world. We have spent billions of dollars supporting the UN as well as being the first to aid nations struck with national disasters; sometimes in a manner more generous than to our own needy poor.

The reason that we have been able to do this is the result of the brilliance of the free enterprise system that is a system of a free people with their naturally endowed freedoms guaranteed by a constitutional republic that is now being threatened and ignored by this administration that is hell-bent on overturning the constitution.

They may call the comparison of what they are doing to the recent history of Fascist Italy and NAZI Socialist Germany, but read of their history and see how exactly those countries were each led by a charismatic leader (Mussolini in Italy and Hitler in Germany) with promises of a better life, better education, national pride etc. only to see them build a counter force to each nation's military (Brown Shirts in Italy, Hitler Youth in Germany) and now Americorps in the USA.

Where have the promises of past progressives gone in our history? The promise of a sound social secuity system of FDR? The promise of the untouchable Medicare of Richard Nixon? Both of these are either broke today or on the verge of collapse in the near future. Those of us who have spent long and hard years of paying into those systems have lived to see them being destroyed by a greedy congress that has left the bank with nothing but IOUs.

Those of you who want to put your faith in such a corrupt bunch of scoundrels who are only interested in themselves and their own interests. Not me. For me, I stick with the cry of Patrick Henry, "Give Me Liberty, or Give me Death!"

A response to a Ken Jarvis- Sir- wake up to the realities that the rest of us who possess common sense and a sense of what is good for this nation did not want this deliberate effort to destroy this nation.

What in the name of all that's Holy- which you probably do not believe- in makes you "think" that anyone is owed anything except by his or her own efforts?

I do not own a BMW, should I be given one just because I want one?

You sound exactly like Che Guevera who came to the Univ of Penn in the early sisties trying to sucker students into fighting with the dictator- Castro…ergo-, you are a would-be communist. By the way, most of them who went were killed by- guess who? Yes, Fidel's faithful followers.

It has NEVER ever worked any where and it is only in force by virtue of dictators forcing it onto their people.

Perhaps, sir, your cranium is stuck in an undesirable place and will continue to be a speech "impediment".

When obama spent a year and half on obamacare he should instead of been working on jobs. People tried to tell him..He knew it all…he should have had jobs then healthcare…and what about all this money he is sending overseas…to look like a big important man…Republicans is not saying no extension…just obama has to figure out how to pay for it. Thats what we would have to do with household expense. They are no better.

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